Rail-clamp.



H. STIBBS.

RAIL CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 26, 190s.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

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Patented Aug. 241, 1- 9 09 Application flied December' 26, 190s.' sei-iai No. 469,455,

whom'it maiyconcem: .Be it known that l, Hanni S'iis, a cit-izen of the United States, residing at Nors tofprovide a simple and eliicient mechanwood, in the county of Hamilton'and State Ohio, have invented certain new and use- Y hilli'nprovements'in Rail-Clanipmof which the following is a specification. V

` My invention .relates to in'iprovements in clampin mechanism to lock car trucks in osit i i i 'on their rails. One of its, objects ism by means offwhich the trucks ot' steam shovels, traveling cranes, pile drivers, or'the' trucks of any car may be firmly locked inl anydesired position upon the rails.A

'Another object is to provide an improved V clamping mechanism .for such purpose, .which appliedand detached, and is con-v is readily veniently portable. iIt further consists in cer'taiirdetails of form, combination andarrangement, all of 'which'will be more fully set forth inthe description ofthe accompanying drawings, in which: H

Figure l is a side elevation of a flat c ar adapted to carry 'a steam shovel, crane, pile driver, engine or like mechanism, and showing. thefwheels or trucks locked in position upon the rails. Fig. 2 is a front elevation" of one of `my improved .clamping mechanisms in position to be clamped upon a rail, which .is shown in cross section.

rear elevation'of the same. Fig. 5 is a per spective view of one of the serrated shoes,

' 'detached- Fig. 6 is a perspective vview of a detachable slack wedge employed in connection, with 4 my impro-ved clamp. Fig. 7 is a side elevation ofa modiication.

In the accompanying drawings, A, rep-v resents the body of a car suoli as employed to support various mechanisms used in rail'-y to open centrally during theact of applying .or detaching' the clamp from the rail. The free ends, d, d

3 is sideelevation of the same. Fig. Llas ay It'is desired toy 2, of the jaws are adapted to engage the under faces of the head, e, of the rail, E.-

F, represents rearwardly projecting brackcarried by jaws, D, D,said lbrackets being armed with hardened and serrated shoes, G, which arepreferably of a shape to be conveniently machined and each provided recesses in theA brackets, F. y'l`he1OiWard fends of shoes, G, abut against shoulders, gf, 'of' the jaws, D,D, to take the thrust, and

the shoes are heldin place'by screws, g2, passing l through` slotted openings in the shoes. Coiled springs,m, seated lin recesses in 'the'.inner facesjof jaws, i D", D", serve to A automatically ope'n sai-'d jaws .wheii'li'andla L, is in the raised position.' fAflev'er, II,is pivotally attached 'to jaws, D-,Df,b`yfineans otra pin, L, passing through ears', d2, (Z3, formed integral with the jaws, D, D. The lever, VH, has a` handle, 71,', at one end and cani-,shaped hooks, h2, h3, on opposite sides of jaws, D,"D at the opposite. end. The jaws, D, D', can only beopened when the -with a tongue, g, to enter corresponding handle, h, is in the raised position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, as in .this position the cams, h2, h3, aredisengaged from 'the sides ofjaws, D, D-., The'eitent -to which the jaws, D, D', canlbe opened when handle, it", is raised, is limited by ears, (Z2, als,vv engaging the inner faces 'of cams, h2, jhf*.l"Vhen'the handle, It', is lowered to the position shown inFig.-` 1 the. cams-72,2, h3, engage the sides ofjaws, D, DQ-and lock the jaws together.y Kfr'epresents a ,wedge 'seated-in slot-s, .cl-*,- in the jaws', D, D', and locked'in-placeby a head", ,26, :pinned thereto to prevent injury tojthe--endof the wedge. The'opposite end. of thewe'dge-is too broad 'to pass through the slot, d4, thus preventing detachment of the wedge, K, except by 4'removing headJa..

In practice' I'preferably employ railway ties, or other timbers, L, L', 'resting across the rails and againstthe outside wheels of roo the respective trucks., The clamps, tourii'n number are then adjusted tothe rails outside'the, timbers, L, L, and pressed close 'up tosaid timbers.' Then the handles', t, are

lowered', ilocki`ngjjaws,f Y D, t oget her the wedges,v K,"'driven to position between ,the upper edge of 4the slots (Z4, andthe topl of the rails, which, by reasonof the engag- 'L ing faces of the free ends, d', d2, ofthe'jaws the serrated facesof'.shoes ,G,-into contactl 1 clamps. The handle, L, serves to shift the cams, h2, k3, and also as a convenient means for transporting and adjusting the clamps to position. j

In themoditication, Fig; 7, I have shown the forward portion of the clamping jaws, D2, adapted to engage directly with the periphery of the car v'wheels without the intervention of any timbers, but 'preferably employ the timbers, as shown in Fig. l.

The mechanism herein illustrated and described is capable of considerable modication, without departing from the principle of my invention.

Having described myf invention, what I claim is :A

1. In a mechanism ofthe character indi-l cated, a pair of jaws hinged together at one end and adapted to open at the opposite end to receive a rail, means` for closing said j'a-ws, and a wedge seated in slots in said jaws and adapted to engage the top of the rail.-

2. In a vmechanism of the character indicated, a pair of jaws hinged togetherV at one end and adapted to open at the opposite end to receive a rail, rearwardly projecting brackets carriedby said' jaws and adapted to engage the top face of said rail, means to lock said jaws in the closed position, and'a wedge seated in slots in said jaws and vadapted to engage the top of the rail.

3.,In a mechanism of the character indicated, a pair of jaws hinged togetherat one end and adapted to open at the opposite end to receive 'a rail, rearwardly projecting' brackets carried by said jaws, detachable serrated shoes carried by said brackets and adapted to engagevthe top faoesof said rail, means to lock said jaws 1n the closed posif tion, and a nfedgeseated in' slots in said jaws and adapted to engage the topof the rail.

4. .In a mechanism of the character indicated, a pair of vjaws hinged together at one end and adapted to open at the opposite end to receive a rail, ears carried by said jaws, a

lever pivotally attached to said ears and pro- `vided with cams adapted to swing into and l'out of the path of said vjawsiin openin to alternately permit said Ikj :nlrs to open, and to lock said jaws togetherupn the rail.

5. In a mechanism of the character indicated, a pair of jaws hinged together at one end and adapted to open at the opposite ,end

ears carried by said jaws, said lever having upon said rai-l, and a wedge seated in slots in said jaws and adapted to engage the top of said rail.

6. In a mechanism of the character indi-V cated, a pair of jaws adapted to grasp the opposite sides of a rail, ears Icarried by said jaws, and of less width than the jaws, va pivot ally attached to said ears by -said pin, and provided at. one end with a handle, and at the opposite end with cams to engage and lock said jaws together upon the rail, and capable of swinging ont of the path of said jaws 1n opening. f

7. In a .mechanism of the character indicated, a pair of jaws adapted to grasp the opposite sides of a rai]` a lever pivotally attached to said' jaws and provided at one end with a handle and at the opposite end with jaws and armed with detachable serrated wedge seated in slots in said jaws and adapted to engage the top of the rail.

8. In a mechanism of'the character indicated, a pair of jaws adapted to grasp the opposite sides of a rail head, meansto lock said j awsA 1n the closed position, brackets projecting*rearwardly from said jaws and armed with detachable serrated shoes to engage the top of the rail, and a wedge engaging between the forward vportion of said jaws and the top ofthe rail to force said shoes in contact with the rail.

cated, a pair of jaws adapted to grasp the opposite sides of a rail, means to lock said jaws in the closed positiorna wedge seated in slots in said jaws and adapted to engage the top of the rail, and a slack wedge adapted to gravitate along the forward face of said jaws'. j

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my j signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

. HARRY STIBBS. lVitnesses:

C. W. MILES, C. H. BARTH.I

cams to engage and lock said jaws together' cams to lock said jaws together upon the rail,l brackets projecting rearwardlyr from sald 9. In a mechanismof the character indi- E to receive a rail, a lever pivotally attached'to i pin passing through said ears, a lever pivot l shoes to engage .thetop of the rail, and a j 

